Sewing machine



Sept) 16 1924.

J. LEATHEM SEWING MACHINE Original Filed Sept. 15 1920 4 Sheets$heet l lllill w 3 F Sept. 16. 1924.

J. LEATHEM SEWING MACHINE Original Filed Sept. 15 1920 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Sept. 16 1924.

J. LEATHEM SEWING MACHINE Original Filed Sept. 15

a; 1 ii 4 Sheets-shat 3 Sept. 16'. 1924.

J. LEATHEM SEWING MACHINE Original Filed Sept. 15 1920 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Patented Sept. 16, 1924.

JAMES esteem, onteem-0N,ennnsmvenm.

snwme MACHINE.

oi-is inal'appneanon filed September 15, 192o, seria1 no. 410,472. 'Dividedand 1 January 10; 1922.

opetati'on 'so that the same can be run at very high speeds.

The 'ace(Impanyrn'g drawings illustrate one embodimentof my HIVGIIUOILJTI the several figure-s of which like parts are "simi larly designated.

In the drawings Figure 1 is a front elevation of a sewing machine made in accoiwtlancewith the presen't invention, shown partly in section and parts broken away for elearness of illustration. a

Figure sis a bottom View of tllQSQWiIi machine shown in Figure 1. r a 1 F'gure 3 isan'end View, partly in section and with parts broken away of the sewing" machine shown in Figure Figure sis a sectional view, withiparts broken away on the line 4.'4c of Figure F1gure5 1s a sectlonal View with parts broken away on the line 5=5 of Figure 1.

Figure 6 is a sectional view with parts broken away on the line 6 6 of Flfguiel Figure 7 is an enlarged sectional "view, with. partsbroken away of the rear side' of the' head of the machine.

Referring to the drawings-,1 designates a bedpla-te; 2 an overhanging hollow arm in which is mounted a needle bar actuating shaft by means of bearing blocks. 1 The forward end of the actuating shaft 3 has rigidly secured thereto onevend ofv'crank arm 5 tothe other end of which, is rem:

ably mounted one end of a short lii1k6 the other end of which is rotatably mounted upon an adjust-able stud bearing 7usecured to needle bar Bsuitably mounted in the overhanging arm, the needle bar being re= of which the tollowii'ig' isa' this eia'plieation filed Serial No. 528,25 I a e ciprocated by the oscillations of the actuat 1ng"shaftto'whrch it is connected as-foL lows I The rearward end of the actuating shaft "3 has adj ustably secured thereto one end'of a crank arnrt) to the other end of which is rotatably mounted one end of a connect in-g rod ElO the other end of which is re telnet, Y

tatably mounted on crank 11 forming part of a main driwingshaft 12 mounted" in suitable bearing; blocks 13, 1 4Q and 15 secured to the bottom of the bed plate.

The rotation of the main "driving-shaft 12 through themedium of asuitablevpuil-eyl6 acts to reciprocatethei connecting rodfi needle bar-8-, I i

10 which oscillates the actuating shaftBand it in turn acts throngh'thecrank M111 5 link 6 and stud bearing 7 to reciprocatethe1.

actuatingle'ver' 19 having; at its lowerrend.

and preferably integral therewith, a needle holder 20. for-holding aneed-le 21. The; needle vbearing block -17 is also. provided gf with -nieaiisfor holding a incer 22. I The:

upper end of the needlea'ctuatingileverhwois pivoted to a cross head 23 which 1s arranged to slide 111 a suitable groove or raceway 24. 1

in a needle oscillating lever'25,win thepresent instance made sl'iapen The" upper end of the needle oscillating lever 25 is arrang ed to it in-a groove; 26 in the toriwardend of the rm: in which it ispivrit'ed by means of a pin Q'Tythe lower end of the lever. 25 is also "arranged. to fit in a :groove" 28 in the forward endrof the ar1i1-,j(thesa1ne being" i pivotally connected, by meansof a'pivot-pin a 29, tothe forward "end of -a-l-ink-30.: The" rearward 1 endof thelink 30 is pivotally connected, by means of arpivota-pin 31-,"to the upper end of a slotted segment lever 82,' thelower end of which is pivoted to the 1113-" right portion'of'the arm by means-bf :a

pivot pin 33; A" segmental slot :34 in the; lever 32 is arranged to adjustably '.engage, one end of a link 35' by niea nsof a pivotfl bolt 86', the other end of the linkbeing pivotally connected by" means we vTpivot 5' pin 37 to one end of a short cranl arni 38;.

the lower end of whiohis; rigidly iconne'cte ed on the main driving shaft 12.

ed to one end of a shaft 39 rotatably mounted in the upright portion of the arm, the backwardly extending portion of-which is suitably recessed together with the bed plate to permit of free movement of a crank arm 40 the upper end of which is rigidly secured to the shaft 39 adjacent its rear end. The lower end of the crank arm 40. is provided with a roller 41 arranged to engage a cam groove 42 in a circular cam 43 secured to an auxiliary shaft 44 .mounted in the bearing blocks 13 and 14. Mounted on the auxiliary shaft 44 is a gear 45 which is arranged to be engaged by a pinion 46 mount- The rotation of the main driving shaft 12 acts through the pinion 46, gear 45, cam

v 43 and connecting'parts to oscillate the needle oscillating lever. 25 whose oscilla- 'tained by varying the cam groove in the cam 48. a I

In the present instance the looping mechanism comprisesa rotary hookor loop taker 47 having a vertical shaft 48 rotatably 'mounted in a bearing block 49. The shaft 48 is provided intermediate of its length withv a bevel pinion 50 which meshes with a bevel gear 51 mounted on the main driving shaft 12 adjacent the end thereof. The rela tive sizes of the bevel pinion 50 and the bevel gear 51 to form a hemstitch being such asto impart two rotations to the loop taker 47 to each complete stroke of the V needle bar.

In accordance with the present invention the cam groove 42 in the cam 43 is out to oscillate the needle 21 at proper intervals to form a hemstitch. In the present instance the cam groove 42 is cut to give a substantiallystraight up and. down movement to the needle when astitch is made on the hem fold of the material, and to oscillate the needle When stitches are made oifthe hemfold, the cam groove being suitably cut to.

oscillate the needle to place two stitches ofi the hem fold toone on.

In that theneedle 21 is moved substantially straight up and down when placing a stitch on the hem fold the needle thread does not bind and break during this portion of the stitch even at very high speeds, it being customary to provide a small longitudinal recess on each side of the needle, into which the needle thread fits, to obviate the binding of the needle thread between the needle and the material.

After the needle 21 has been actuated by the cam groove 42 on the cam 43 to place a stitch on the hem fold, the cam groove 42 on the next downward movement of the needle acts to oscillate the needle to place a stitch off the hem fold. After the needle has passed through the material to place the stitch off the hem fold the cam groove 42, on the further downward movement of the needle acts to oscillate the needle toward the rotary hook or loop taker 47 to permit the needle thread to be engaged thereby, in which position the needle is moved by the action of the cam groove 42 substantially straight up and down at the end of its, downward movement and at the beginning of its upward movement. On the further upward movement of the needle the cam groove 42acts to again oscillate the needle? away from the loop taker to permit. the

stitch off the hem fold thecam groove 42' again acts in exactly the same manner to place another stitch off the hem fold, which operation is followedv by another series of operations to place another stitch on the hem fold and two off, as before described.

The oscillations of the needle back and forth by the action of the cam groove 42' every time a stitch is placed off the hem fold so that the needle enters and leaves the material at substantially the same. point obviates any tendency to bind the needle thread between the needle and the material to cause the thread to break even at the highest speeds;

lVhen the machine is run at very high speeds it is extremely important that there be no binding of the needle thread as it passes through the material, as the slightest binding of any kind will cause it to break, while it is true that the needle is ordinarily provided with a longitudinalrecess on both sides, these recesses act to prevent binding only when the needle is reciprocated straight up and down in the material; when however the needle isoscillated to place a needle as the needle is withdrawn after placing a stitch off the hem fold isaccomplished, A

73 and The segmental cam 7Zis pro- 'vided with a slot 80 which engages a cross as above described, by cutting the cam groove 42 in the cam 43 so that the needle leaves the material at substantially the same point as the needle entered the material, or at such a point as near where the needle originally entered as to be beyond where the material will bind or breakthe needle thread. The crowding of the material against the needle is not a serious matter when the machine is run at comparatively low speeds but when the machine is run at very high speeds it is absolutely essential that this crowding of the material which acts to bind the needle thread be obviated.

In the present instance the feeding mechanism comprises a feed bar 52 having suit- I I the upward and downward movement of the feed dogh's intoand out-of engagement able feed points so situated on the top surface of a recessed feed dog 54; secured to said feed bar. One end of said feed bar is pivoted, by means of a bearing pin 5.5, to the upper ends of two short arms 56, the other ends of which are secured to a rock shaft 57, rotatably mounted on bearing pins 58 secured to bearing blocks 59 and 60 se- 1 I the feed dog acts to force the material cured to the bottom of the bed plate. The rock shaft 57 has adjustabl'y secured thereto a slotted arm 61 in which is adjustabl'y secured one end of a link 62 by means of a pivot bolt 63 the other end of the link 62 being pivoted to one arm of an L shaped lever 64: the centre of which is secured to one end of a sleeve 65 rotatably' mounted on a shaft 66 secured to the bearing blocks 13 and 14. The other arm of the L shaped lever 6a is provided with a roller 67 Which engages a cam groove 68 situated on the side of the gear 45 mounted on the auxiliary shaft 44. V p

The rotation of the main driving shaft 12 acts through the pinion 46 gear 45, cam groove 68, roller 67 and connecting parts to move the feed bar 52' and with it the feed dog 54 back and forth at stated inter.- vals to feed the material backward or forward as may be required. In the present instance the cam groove 68" is arranged to move the feed dog 51 back and forth for every complete stroke of the needle bar. The back and forth movement of the feed dog is regulated by adjusting the pivot bolt 63 in the slotted arm 61 to give any desired feed movement to the feed dog.

The other end of the feed bar 52'is slotted to receivea cross head 69 which is pivotally secured to one end of a short arm 70 the other end of which is secured to a rock of a short arm 74 the other end of which is provided with a roller'75 which engages a cam groove '76 in a segmental cam 77secured to a rock shaft 78 rotatably mounted it being important at high speeds'to avoid the ar incldent to a vtoo rapid engagement" on bearingpins79 secured to bearingbloclis head 81 pivoted ona disk 82 secured to the" end of the auxiliaryshaft MC.

The rotation of the maindriving shaft 12 acts to rotate the auxiliaryshaft 4st and it acts through the cross head 81, segmental cam 77 and connectingpfilts to'depressthe feed bar 52 and with it the feed dog 54'at stated intervals to feed the material backwardorvforward as may be required. In

the present inst'ance the cam groove 76 is arranged to depress the feed dog 54 to feed thematerial forwa-rd t'wo steps to one step rearwardly, I v

In accordance with the present invention against the bottom of suitable double presser foot 83 with little or no jar and accordingly without injury to the material,

of the feed dog with the material which. would act to force the material against the bottom of the presser foot inmany instances withsufiicien-t force to cut the "same.

The 7 corresponding rapid downward movement of therfeed dog acts to disengage the feed bar; v I

By referri-ng to the drawings it will be seen that when the cam groove 76' -acts to depress the feed-dogoa the cross head 81 on the disk 82 is moving in that portion of the material instantly without jar" or shock allowing the time thus saved to beused on the relatively slow upward movement of i the slot 80" of thesegmental cam 7'7 which is adjacent the rock shaft 78, which acts to give a rapid downward movement to the i feed dog; when however the-cam groove' '76 acts" to raise the feed dog, the cross head 83? on the disk 82 is moving in that portion of the slot 80 of the segmental cam 77 which is away from 'therock shaft 78 which acts to give a relatively slow'upw'ard movement to the feed dog. a

In the present instance the double resser foot 83 comprises two-presser shoes 84" each of' which is suitably pivoted midway of their length to the lower curved ends of shoe arms 85 the upper endscf which are se cured. to the lower .endsof independent presser foot bars 86each of which is 'slid I ably'mounted in the end oftl'ie-overhanging arm-2i Theuppe'ryen'd of each ofth'e presser foot bars are preferably made hollbw and arranged to enclose coiled springs 87 ar ranged tobe engaged by pins 88 pressed downward by means of suitable caps 89 which screw into the arm 2 to force the shoes 84 into engagement with the material on the feed dog. When in the operation of the machine the feed dog is lowered the overhanging sides of the presser shoes rest upon the feed plate 90.

The presser shoes 8% are arranged to act on the material entirely independent of each other but the same are arranged to be lifted when not in use by means of a latch'9l piv-,

oted to the arm 2 which engages a pro ectlon 92 secured to a double collar 93 mountedon both presser foot bars and arranged to be secured to one and slidably mounted on the other. A similar double collar 94L is also provided which is mounted on both presser bars and spaced away from the double collar 93 the same being secured to the opposite presser foot bar and slidably mounted on the other so that the latch 91 will operate both presser shoes at the same time leaving the presser shoes when in operative position to act independently, the double collars 93 and 9 1 acting to brace the presser foot bars one against the other. I

It is to be noted that the presser foot bars 86 are slidably mounted in the end of the arm as nearly adjacent the needle bar 8 as possible, in order to give as nearly as pos sible a direct upward thrust to the presser bars when the presser shoes are engaged on the upward movement of the feed dog. The mounting of the presser foot bars so nearly adjacent the needle bar is made possible by the fact that the needle bar is reciprocated by the rocking of the actuating shaft 3,

less space being required for a reciprocating connection than otherwise would be the case if the actuating shaft 3 was rotated. This arrangement of the presser, bars prevents excessive vibration of the presser foot and enables the machine to be run at very a ball joint 101 to the end of an adjustable arm 102 secured to a short shaft 103, rotatably mounted in the bearing block 14. I The end of the shaft 103 which projects beyond the end of the bearing block 14 is secured to one end of a guide rod 1041; upon which is slidably mounteda slide sleeve 105 having an extended portion 106 which is pivoted by I The shaft 97 has means of a pivot pin 107 to an extended portion 108 on the lower end of the connectthe end of the connecting rod 10 adjacent I the crank 11 with the corresponding position of the connecting parts acts to give a rapid movement to the take up arm when the same is moving from left to right to I take up additional thread and a relatively slow movement when the take up arm is moving from right to left to let out the thread, together with a gradual acceleration of the take up arm near both ends of its movements.

In other words, the motion of the take up rm is slow while the hook or loop taker 47 is taking the loop of the needle thread which takes place when the take up arm is moving from right to left, while for drawing the stitch tight, which takes place when the take up arm is moving from left to right, the movement of the take up arm is extremely rapid. It will be observed that the slide sleeve 105 is at the lower portion of the guide rod 104 adjacent the shaft 103 when the take up arm is moving from left to right and also near both ends of its movements, permitting relatively fast movement of the take up arm during this time, when, however, the slide sleeve 105 is at the upper portion of the guide rod 104: the take up armis moving from right to left, permitting relatively slow. movement of the take up arm during this time. 7

The machine above described is capable of running at the rate of forty-five hundred revolutions a minute upward to five thousand revolutions a minute with practically no vibration.

While the invention has been described with particular reference to the details of construction,the same is not to be considered as limited thereto, as many changes can be made and still fall within the scope of the invention set forth inthe following claims. I

What I claim is I l. A high speed sewing machine including in combination, an oscillating needleoperating means providing a relativelyshort reciprocation of the needle bar, adriving shaft, a crank on said driving shaft,means' connecting said crank to the oscillating needle operating means, a take-up lever, means pivotally mounting said lever for movement longitudinally of the driving shaft, and means interposed between said connecting means and take-up lever for actuating the latter, said last named means 'lating shaft adapted to impart a relatively shortreciprocation to said needle bar, a driving shaft, means connecting said driving shaft to said oscillating shaft, a take-up lever, means pivotally mounting said'lever for movement axially of the driving shaft and means for actuating said take-up lever, said means including a member having a pivotal connection located at a point in close .prozrimityto the driving shaft and to one side thereof.

3. A high speed sewing machine including in combination, an oscillating needle op erating shaft adapted to provide a relatively short reciprocation of the needle, a driving shaft, acrank on said driving shaft, means connecting said crank to the oscillating needle operating shaft, a take-up lever, and means for oscillating said take-up lever, said means including a pivoted member located in close proximity to said crank, and a member slidably mounted on said pivoted memher, said slidable member being moved in a relatively small ovoidal path, which path is substantially tangent to the circular path of travel of the crank.

4. A high speed sewing machine including in combination, a needle bar, means including an oscillating shaft for imparting to said bar a relatively short reciprocation, a driving shaft, a crank connecting said driving shaft to the means oscillating the needle bar actuating shaft, a take-up lever, and means connecting said takeup lever to said last named means for moving the lever at varying speeds during each relatively short reciprocation of the needle bar, said last named means operating to describe a relatively short path of travel in the nature of an ovoid adjacent the crank circle de-, scribed by the operation of said crank.

5. A hem stitching machine comprising in combination, an oscillating shaft, a needle bar driven by said oscillating shaft and having a relatively short reciprocation ,a loop, taker located to one side of the line of feed of the material, a take-up lever, means pivotally mounting said lever for movement in a plane at right angles'to the line of feed,

and means for oscillating the takeup lever through a relatively short path of travel commensurate with the relatively short reciprocation of the needle bar, said means being adapted to operate the take-up lever at a relatively slow speed when the loop taker is catching the loop.

6. In a high speed hem stitching machine including an oscillating needle operating,

means, a driving shaft located beneaththe with the arm of the 'takeeup'lever, the rock shaft carrying aguide rod, and sleeve slidable on said guiderod and'pivotally connected directly with said pitman rod at a: "point to one sided the axis thereof.

7. In a high'speed hem stitching machine including an oscillating needle operating means, a driving shaft located beneath the bed'plateand 'havingna crank, a pitman rod connecting saiducrank with theneedle operating means, a take-up lever pivoted be low thexbed' plate andhavingan arm, arock shaft located below theplane of said driving shaft and carrying an arm, a link connecting both-arms,- a guide elementcarried by the rock shaft, and a slidab le member engaged upon said guide element and having an extension pivoted directly upon saidpit-man rodtatone side thereof. 8. A hem stitching machine comprising, in combination, an actuating member including a rock shaft, a pitman rod, a loop taker, a. take-up lever connected to said pitman rod and adapted to oscillate in a plane slower speed when the loop; taker is catching the loop andalso when discharging the loop, said means involving a pivoted crank arm, and a link connectedto one end of the crank arm, said link having its opposite end connected to the take-up lever.

9. A sewing machine comprising, in combination, an actuating member including a rock shaft and pitman rod, a loop taker, a take-up lever, said, lever being connected to said pitman rod and operable in a plane extendingvaxially of said rock shaft, and means for moving the take-up lever at a relatively slow speed whenthe loop taker is catching the thread and rapidly when the loop is being tightened, and slowing down the movement of the lever when the loop taker is discharging the loop, said means including a pivoted crank arm connected to said pitman rod, and a link connecting said crank arm to the take-up lever.

10. Ina high speed sewing machine'including an oscillating needle operating means, a driving shaft having a crank, a pit man rod connecting said crank with the oscillating needle operating means, a takeup lever having an arm, a rock shaft arranged at right angles to thepivotal axis of the take-up lever and operatively connected with said arm, a guide rod on the rock shaft extending at right angles thereto, and a sleeve slidable on the guide rod and having an extension pivoted directly on said pitbed plate and-having a crank, a pitman rod "connecting ,said'crank with the oscillating needle operating means, a take-up lever'pivoted below the bed 'platei and having an .arnna rock shaft having anarm connected disposed axially of said rock shaft, and means for moving the'takeaip lever at a man rod, said elements cooperating to oscillate the take-up lever through a short throw and atvariable speeds during a cycle of movement.

11. In a high speed sewing machine including an oscillating needle operating means, a driving shaft having a crank, a pit- '1nan rod connecting said crank with the oscillating needle operatlng means, a takeup lever having an arm, a rock shaft arranged at right angles to thelpivotal axis of the take-up lever and operatively connected with said arm, a guide rod on the rock shaft extending at right angles thereto, and a sleeve slidable on the guide rod and having an arm pivoted'directly on said pitman rod,

said elements cooperating to oscillate the arm on the pivot of the take-up lever, a rock shaft having an operative connection with said arm and carrying a guide, and a rock shaft operating member slidable along the guide and having an extension pivoted on the pitman.

13. In a sewing machine including an oscillating needle operating means, a driving shaft located beneath the bed plate and having a crank, it pitman connecting said crank with the needle operating means, a take-up lever carriedby a rock shaft journaled beneath the bed plate at right angles to the driving shaft, an arm on said rock shaft, a second rock shaft parallel with the driving shaft and carrying an arm pivotally connected with said first named arm, a guide on the second named rock shaft, and a sleeve slidable along said guide and having a lateral arm pivotally connected with said pitman rod. v

In testimony whereof I have signed this specification in the presence. of two subscribing witnesses.

- JAMES LEATHEM. l'Vitnesses L. F; GRIMES, L. RUTH GRIMES. 

